Reply to Is Bowser's goal really to damage and destroy DC public schools?

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Reply to "Is Bowser's goal really to damage and destroy DC public schools?"

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]I don’t think Bowser’s motivation is destroying public schools, just like I don’t think her motivation is gentrification and pushing lower-income Black people out of the city.

I think her motivation is staying in power by courting the most powerful interests, who are developers and wealthy charter school advocates. She is willing to do whatever is necessary to keep them on her side, which means schools and lower-income people are the collateral damage.

I suspect charter schools in many ways are a pain in her ass, especially since their very existence makes improving public schools much harder. Some of them siphon off motivated students and engaged families, which concentrates students with the biggest challenges in public schools; others are completely incompetent and unaccountable, meaning students who attend and then return to public schools have gained nothing other than disruption in their lives.

But the charter system is entrenched, and Bowser is not a disrupter or reformer. Again, she wants to stay in power, and she knows whom she needs to do that. [/quote]

How are schools "collateral damage" of creating a thriving charter network in DC? That does not compute.  Charter schools are a type of public schools, and they have a clear and positive role in DC. I'm sure there are also some negatives but to ignore the fact that they are working (and proactively chosen) by many DC families is to miss a huge part of the overall picture.

As for development - the real problem there is wealthy people refusing zoning reforms. It's equally nonsensical for you to complain about "gentrification" and development in one breath.  Building more housing is the only way to get affordable housing in DC.  [/quote]

I suspect we’re never going to agree here, but: charter schools exist and thrive at the expense of public schools. Rather than investing all of our resources in creating an equitable, successful public school system, we divert public resources to private actors (with minimal accountability) for charter schools. The diversion of resources undermines public schools, meaning families increasingly opt out of public schools for charters. And the cycle continues. I’m not saying there aren’t good reasons for families in our current system to go to charters. B[b]ut it would be far better to have a single, thriving public school system with strong accountability so that families didn’t feel compelled to seek other options. [/b]

Re: gentrification/development—yes! We agree that more development of affordable housing and elimination of restrictive zoning is the key. Where we disagree is over whether that’s what the developers who support Bowser want to do and thus whether that’s what her administration prioritizes.[/quote]

Sure, but a century of history shows it doesn't happen.[/quote]

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